Electrical Submersible Pump With Equally Loaded Thrust Bearings

ABSTRACT

A rotary pump having thrust bearings includes a system for equalizing the loading on the thrust bearings. The thrust bearings are each supported on pistons that are in fluid communication with a hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic circuit has substantially the same pressure throughout, thereby floating each piston at the same pressure to provide an equal support force to each thrust bearing via each piston.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates in general to electrical submersible well pumps, and in particular to a system and method for equally distributing forces applied to thrust bearings in a centrifugal pump.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electrical submersible pumps (ESP) are normally installed on the bottom end of jointed production tubing within a cased wellbore and powered by a power cable typically attached to the outside of production tubing. In this configuration, an annulus is formed between the tubing and the wellbore casing and the produced fluids are pumped up the production tubing to the surface.

The ESP pumps typically have a large number of stages, each stage having a stationary diffuser and a rotating impeller. The rotating impellers exert a downward thrust as the fluid is moved upward. The downward force is generally handled by a thrust bearing radially mounted on the pump shaft. Size constraints in a producing well limit the thrust bearing diameter and thus its load bearing capacity. To prevent bearing overload in some pumps, additional thrust bearings have been added at different locations along the shaft length. Attempts to distribute the load equally to the bearings include the use of springs and linkages. However these attempts have not been able to provide equal loading distribution.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for handling axial thrust imposed by a rotary pump on a drive shaft. The apparatus includes a housing, a drive shaft for driving a rotary pump extending into the housing, and piston assemblies within the housing. Each piston assembly has a piston and cylinder arrangement within the housing. Fluid is in the cylinder and the cylinders are in fluid communication with each other. Thrust bearings are also included that are coupled to the drive shaft. Each thrust bearing is supported on a piston assembly, wherein each bearing receives and transfers the thrust through the fluid in the cylinder to the housing. The force exerted onto each thrust bearing is equalized by pressure communicated through the fluid. The apparatus may further include a hydraulic circuit for handling the fluid and directing it to the piston assemblies. A plenum may be formed in the housing as part of the hydraulic circuit.

Also described herein is an alternative apparatus for pumping well fluid. The apparatus includes a rotary pump, a drive shaft adapted to be driven by a power source and located within a housing to drive the pump. Also included are piston assemblies within the housing, the piston assemblies may include a piston in a cylinder and wherein the cylinder has fluid within. A hydraulic circuit provides fluid communication between the cylinders so each cylinder is at substantially the same pressure. This embodiment may include a plenum in the housing wall with ports between the plenum and the cylinders. Thrust bearings are included within the housing coupled to the drive shaft. A piston assembly is mounted to each thrust bearing for receiving thrust and transferring the thrust through the fluid in the cylinder to the housing. Each thrust bearing may include a thrust runner connected to the drive shaft. The thrust runners rotate with the drive shaft on a mating thrust bearing base, the thrust bearing base does not rotate relative to the housing. Each piston is in cooperative engagement with a thrust bearing bases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side partial sectional view of an example of an electrical submersible pumping system in a cased wellbore.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a system for distributing force between pump thrust bearings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. For the convenience in referring to the accompanying figures, directional terms are used for reference and illustration only. For example, the directional terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “above”, “below”, and the like are being used to illustrate a relational location.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction, operation, exact materials, or embodiments shown and described, as modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art. In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed illustrative embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation. Accordingly, the invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

With reference now to FIG. 1 an example of an electrical submersible pumping (ESP) system 20 is shown in a side partial sectional view. The ESP 20 is disposed in a wellbore 5 that is lined with casing 7. In the embodiment shown, the ESP 20 comprises a motor 22, a seal section 24 attached on the upper end of the motor 22, and a pump 30 above the seal 24. Fluid inlets 26 shown on the outer housing of the pump 30 provide an inlet for wellbore fluid 9 in the wellbore 5 to enter into the pump section 30. A gas separator (not shown) could be mounted between the seal section 24 and the pump section 30.

In an example of operation, the pump motor 22 is energized via a power cable (not shown) and rotates an attached shaft assembly 34 (shown in dashed outline). Although the shaft 34 is illustrated as a single member, it should be pointed out that the shaft 34 may comprise multiple shaft segments. The shaft assembly 34 extends from the motor 22 through the seal section 24 to the pump section 30. Impellers 36 (also shown in dashed outline) within the pump section 30 are coupled to the shaft 34 assembly upper end that rotate in response to shaft 34 rotation. The impellers 36 comprise a vertical stack of individual members alternatingly interspaced between static diffusers (not shown). Well bore fluid 9, which may include liquid hydrocarbon, gas hydrocarbon, and/or water, enters the wellbore 5 through perforations 8 formed through the casing 7. The wellbore fluid 9 is drawn into the pump 30 from the inlets 26 and pressurized as the rotating impellers 36 urge the wellbore fluid 9 through a helical labyrinth upward through the pump 30. The pressurized fluid is directed to the surface via production tubing 32 attached to the upper end of the pump 30.

As discussed above, operating the impellers 36 produces a resulting downward force on the shaft 34 that is realized by thrust bearings within the ESP 20. Such an upward thrust can also occur during pump start up. FIG. 2 which illustrates a thrust bearing assembly 40 embodiment in side sectional view having tandem thrust bearings 50, 76 configured to support axial loads exerted by the shaft 34. A tubular housing 42 encloses the thrust bearing assembly 40 therein. Although two thrust bearings 50, 76 are shown in FIG. 2, the system and method described herein includes embodiments having more than two thrust bearings. Moreover, the thrust bearing assembly 40 may be provided at any point on the shaft 34 between the motor 22 and impellers 36. For example, the thrust bearing assembly 40 could be located within the seal section 24 or the motor 22. A bladder 25 is shown (in dashed outline) included within the seal section 24 for equalizing ESP system 20 internal and external pressure. The bladder 25 outer surface is contacted by wellbore fluid 9 and dielectric fluid against the bladder 25 inner surface communicates with the motor 22. The bladder 25 communicates the fluid 9 pressure to the system 20 internals via the dielectric fluid without allowing fluid 9 leakage into the dielectric fluid.

One of the advantages presented herein is the shaft 34 downward axial load, referred to herein and illustrated as force F, is distributed substantially equally to each thrust bearing. As noted above, the force F, which largely is transferred along the shaft 34 axis A_(X), initiates from impellers 36 action on the fluid being pumped. Axial force F is transferred from the shaft 34 via annular shaped thrust spaced runners 44, 75. The thrust runners 44, 75 are shown coupled to the drive shaft 34 outer circumference with elongated keys 48, 74 that radially affix the runners 44, 75 to the shaft 34. Corresponding recesses in the thrust runners 44, 75 and shaft 34 are formed to receive the keys 48, 74 therein. The thrust runners 44, 75 extend outward from the shaft 34 and end proximate to the housing 42 inner circumference without sealing against. Downward axis forces in the shaft 34 are transferred to the thrust runners 44, 75 via snap rings 46, 72 shown engaging the shaft 34 in a groove adjacent the thrust runners' 44, 75 upper surface.

The thrust bearings 50, 76 each include a base 51, 77 circumscribing the shaft 34 below respective thrust runners 44, 75. The base 51, 77 may comprise a pad formed from a composite material for withstanding the rotating action from the thrust runners 44, 75. In this example each thrust bearing base 51, 77 having an outer diameter less than the thrust runner 44, 75 outer diameter. The thrust bearings 50, 76 further include an annular collar 52, 78 supporting the thrust bearing bases 51, 77, the collar 52, 78 having an upper end with an inner diameter greater than the inner diameter of the thrust bearing bases 50, 76, in the example shown. The collar 52, 78 has an outer diameter less than the outer diameter of the thrust bearings 50, 76. The inner diameter of the collar 52, 78 includes a reduced inner diameter transition at a point along its axis; the collar 52, 78 inner diameter is constant below the transition. The outer diameter of the collar 52, 78 is constant along its entire axial length.

Each collar 52, 78 is shown each supported on respective piston assemblies 53, 79, each piston assembly 53, 79 comprising a piston 54, 80. Each piston 54, 80 comprises a ring like piston base 56, 82 at its upper end and a piston shaft 58, 84 extending downward from the midsection of the piston base 56, 82. Each piston base 56, 82 width exceeds the respective piston shaft 58, 84 width thereby giving each piston 54, 80 a “T” shaped cross section. Each piston shaft 58, 84, as shown, is a cylindrical member. The collar 52, 78 may be coupled on its lower end to each base 56, 82, such as by a dowel (not shown). The piston shafts 58, 84 are shown inserted into correspondingly shaped annular cylinders 64, 90 formed within respective cylinder housings 60, 86. The cylinder housings 60, 86 comprise an inner section 61, 89 and an outer wall 62, 88. Each inner section 61, 89 circumscribes the shaft 34, along an axial length and has a flange on its lower end that radially extends outward from the shaft 34 thereby giving the inner sections 61, 89 an “L” shaped cross section. In the embodiment shown, the outer walls 62, 88 are ring like members having a lower end sealingly coupled with the outer edge of the flange of the inner sections 61, 89. Each outer wall 62, 88 has an outer surface in sealing cooperation with the housing 42 inner circumference. Passages 63, 91 laterally extend through each outer wall 62, 88 located adjacent the lower ends of the cylinders 64, 90 and in fluid communication with the cylinders 64, 90.

The cylinder housings 60, 86 are each supported on support rings 66, 92 that are held within the housing 42 on top of snap rings 68, 94. The support rings' 66, 92 outer circumferences largely match the housing 42 inner surface, and each snap ring 68, 94 has an outer diameter extending into a groove formed into the housing 42 inner circumference.

A plenum 43 is shown formed within the housing 42 wall extending axially from above the upper piston assembly 53 to below the lower piston assembly 79. The plenum 43 angular travel, as illustrated, is less than 360°, but embodiments exist where the plenum 43 angular travel extends up to 360°. Circular grooves 45, 75 are provided in the housing 42 wall that circumferentially traverse the housing 42 inner circumference that register with the passages 63, 91. Registering the passages 63, 91 with the grooves 45, 75 provides fluid communication between the cylinders 64, 90 and the plenum 43. The plenum 43 preferably contains an incompressible fluid that may be introduced through a fitting (not show) connecting the outer surface of the housing 42 and plenum 43. The fluid may be at ambient pressure or pressurized. Introducing a fluid, such as a hydraulic or dielectric fluid, into the cylinders 64, 90 and plenum 43 thereby forms a hydraulic circuit, wherein the hydraulic circuit pressure is substantially consistent throughout.

In operation, the force F on the shaft 34 urges both thrust runners 44, 75 downward against the thrust bearings 50, 76. The force F then transmits via the collar 52, 82 and piston 54, 80 into fluid within the cavity 64, 90. Both cavities 64, 90 are in fluid and pressure communication with one another via the plenum 43, therefore have substantially equal pressure. The substantially equal pressure in each cavity 64, 90 results in a correspondingly substantially equal upward force exerted on each piston 54, 80. Each piston 54, 80 has a substantially equal reactive force, thereby equalizing the force experienced on each thrust bearing 50, 76. The equalized force reduces unequal loading on either bearing 50, 76 to enhance bearing life. An increase in downward force pushes both thrust runners 44, 75 down along with the shaft 34. This in turn urges fluid up into the plenum 43 and into the seal section 24 interior and slightly compresses bladder 23.

The present invention described herein, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as others inherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been given for purposes of disclosure, numerous changes exist in the details of procedures for accomplishing the desired results. These and other similar modifications will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and are intended to be encompassed within the spirit of the present invention disclosed herein and the scope of the appended claims. While the invention has been shown in only one of its forms, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible to various changes without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the device herein described herein is employable on a surface mounted rotary pump, rotary pumps other than centrifugal, as well as progressive cavity pumps. 

1. An apparatus for handling axial thrust imposed by a rotary pump on a drive shaft comprising: a housing; a drive shaft for driving a rotary pump extending into the housing; piston assemblies within the housing, each comprising a piston carried in a cylinder fixed to the housing and containing a fluid disposed in the cylinder, wherein the cylinders are in fluid communication with each other; thrust bearings within the housing coupled to the drive shaft, at spaced apart locations along the drive shaft, and wherein one of the piston assemblies is mounted to each of the thrust bearings for receiving thrust and transferring the thrust through the fluid in the cylinder to the housing.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a passage in a wall of the housing in fluid communication with each cylinder.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each thrust bearing comprises a thrust runner coaxially affixed to the drive shaft for rotation therewith and a mating thrust bearing base, that is non-rotatable relative to the housing; and each of the pistons are in cooperative engagement with one of the thrust bearing bases.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plenum formed within a wall of the housing, and ports provided in the housing wall circumference between the plenum and the cylinders.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid in the cylinder is under a selected charged pressure when no axial thrust exists.
 6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an annular collar disposed between each thrust bearing base and the corresponding piston assembly.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each cylinder comprises: an outer wall in engagement with an inner diameter of the housing; and an inner wall circumscribing and radially spaced from the drive shaft defining an annular cavity between the inner and outer walls for receiving one of the pistons.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each piston comprises a cylindrical member having open first and second ends; and wherein the first end is in cooperative engagement with one of the thrust bearings and the second end extends sealingly into one of the cylinders.
 9. An apparatus for pumping well fluid comprising: a rotary pump; a drive shaft adapted to be driven by a power source and located within a housing, the drive shaft cooperatively engaging the pump to drive the pump; piston assemblies within the housing, each comprising a piston carried in a cylinder fixed to the housing and containing a fluid disposed in the cylinder, wherein the cylinders are in fluid communication with each other; a plenum formed within a wall of the housing, and ports provided in the housing wall circumference between the plenum and the cylinders; and thrust bearings within the housing coupled to the drive shaft, at spaced apart locations along the drive shaft, and wherein one of the piston assemblies is mounted to each of the thrust bearings for receiving thrust and transferring the thrust through the fluid in the cylinder to the housing, wherein each thrust bearing comprises a thrust runner coaxially affixed to the drive shaft for rotation therewith and a mating thrust bearing base, that is non-rotatable relative to the housing; and each of the pistons are in cooperative engagement with one of the thrust bearing bases.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each cylinder comprises: an outer wall in engagement with an inner diameter of the housing; and an inner wall circumscribing and radially spaced from the drive shaft defining an annular cavity between the inner and outer walls for receiving one of the pistons.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each piston comprises a cylindrical member having a first planar end and a second tubular end; and wherein the first end is in cooperative engagement with one of the thrust bearings and the second end extends sealingly into one of the cylinders.
 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the fluid is incompressible.
 13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the thrust runners and thrust bearings are immersed in a lubricant that is different from the fluid in the cylinders.
 14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an annular collar disposed between each thrust bearing base and the corresponding piston assembly.
 15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising ports formed between the plenum and the housing inner circumference adjacent each cylinder and passages formed through each cylinder that register with a port.
 16. A method of pumping subterranean fluid from a wellbore, the method comprising: providing a pumping system in the wellbore on production tubing, the system having a motor, a rotary pump with impellers, a drive shaft coupled between the impellers and the motor, and a thrust bearing system, the thrust bearing system having thrust bearings each engaged with the drive shaft, a hydraulic circuit having fluid therein at substantially the same pressure throughout the circuit; and a platform supporting each thrust bearing, wherein each platform is in pressure communication with the hydraulic circuit; and activating the motor thereby rotating the drive shaft and coupled impellers, wherein each platform exerts a substantially equal supporting force onto each respective thrust bearing.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing pressure communication between the fluid in the hydraulic circuit and ambient conditions.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the fluid in the hydraulic circuit is substantially incompressible. 